Leading figures from manufacturing, policy, academia and research presented the research results of the EU funded scheme at an event in Brussels on October 18.

The ‘use-it-wisely’ scheme, funded under the FP7 framework and running until the end of this year, is addressing sustainability challenges in six sectors: office furniture, shipping, trucks, space products, mobile rock crushers and power plant turbines.

It comprises 20 partners from nine countries throughout Europe across manufacturers, researchers and their customers.

Project co-ordinator from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Goran Granholm, commented: Through effective upgrade innovation, we can achieve sustainable solutions for demanding customers. This will help industry struggling with keeping abreast of global competition, new technologies and changing requirements.

Research programme officer with the European Commission’s DG Research and Innovation, Erastos Filos, added: [The project] has created innovative frameworks and tools using virtual reality [and] augmented reality, as well as business models that allow European manufacturers to face the challenges of rapidly changing markets.

Karin Verploegen, representing Gispen, a Dutch industrial designer, said that her aim was to prolong the lifespan of furniture through the implementation of the principles of the circular economy. Gispen and Dutch research institute TNO together developed two tools to enhance sustainable business practices.

RD Velho’s Tommi Mannerjoki talked about research carried out on upgrades of mobile rock crushers. With new technologies becoming accessible in 3D scanning, augmented reality and additive manufacturing, Mannerjoki and his project partners in Metso Minerals researched how to easily gather 3D information from mobile crushing machines and how to manufacture single parts.

A professor with Chalmers University of Technology, Björn Johansson, worked with Volvo during the scheme to enhance factory floor changes in the production of truck cabs.

Johansson outlined the challenges of continuous changes in the production environment and the subsequent requirements for the production system to be continuously upgraded.

Manufacturing & Engineering Magazine | The Home of Manufacturing Industry News